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Restaurant Plans Move Ahead In OC

OCEAN CITY – The Planning and Zoning Commission expressed concerns this week over a project that is proposed to look more like a piece of Frontier Town rather than downtown Ocean City.

On Wednesday night, the Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed a proposal of a construction project by Fat Daddy’s downtown on the northwest corner of Dorchester Street and Baltimore Avenue.

The first floor of the building will include the restaurant, which will seat 65, and a retail store. The second floor will include 20 rental rooms aimed to house its employees.

Since the building is located downtown it falls under the limits of Ocean City Development Corporations (OCDC).

OCDC requested the applicant provide in the future the final colors for siding, detail, awnings and shutters. Also, the roof line should have a portion revised, such as a parapet wall to break up the long expanse. The window treatment should also be detailed so it doesn’t present a flat look with the building’s wall.

The commission was concerned over the external aesthetics of the building, expressing disappointment in the single, small rendering provided. From the rendering, it looked like the building lacked some sort of separation between the different spaces.

“I think something needs to be done from the street scape,” Commission member Peck Miller said. “It’s going to look like a western town and we are not looking for that downtown or anywhere.”

Miller suggested some type of gable, or peaked, roofing versus the flat roof rendered as well as an awning over the retail store to differentiate the space from the restaurant.

“There is too much roof for a principle place downtown,” Commission member Lauren Taylor said.

OCDC Executive Director Glenn Irwin agreed that there needs to be more detail provided on awning styles and final colors of the building but in working with the applicants up to this point he said he was comfortable with the project moving forward.

“We have worked with them in the façade program about five years ago and they did a nice job with that,” he said. “We think they have … a good track record in Ocean City to build good looking buildings.”

Miller made a motion to approve the proposal based on the town and OCDC comments, adding the recommendation to break up the store front. The commission asked for the applicant to return with a revised version of the rendering to be approved. The project is expected to start this fall.

“I think this is great to be in downtown,” Miller said. “I like the housing … I like every aspect of it.”